


The Arc of Ascension, Fragment i1,1: Power Play

by bzarcher, solarbird



Series: Of Gods and Monsters [32]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternative Perspective, Anticipation, Background Relationships, Conditioning, F/F, Fear, Medicine, Mind Control, Multi, Nepal (Overwatch), Oasis (Overwatch), Other, Paranoia, Press Conference, Press and Tabloids, Science, Shambali (Overwatch), Strategy & Tactics, Talon Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Tension, planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 03:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14926361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bzarcher/pseuds/bzarcher, https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarbird/pseuds/solarbird
Summary: The new gods have risen, ready, at last, to grapple with a world of heroes. Moira O'Deorain herself has been reborn, now made one of the creations her previous self meant to rule, and she works with her wife - the goddess Mercy - and their ensemble of new deities to remake the world, toimproveit... for everyone.The gods of Oasis have launched their Concordat, offering promises of advanced medical technology, miracle treatments, sharing their advancements with the world. But as the remnants of Overwatch gather their allies to observe the proceedings, they are convinced these “gifts” must come at a hefty price.Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Ascensionis a continuance ofOf Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Creation, a side-step sequel toThe Armourer and the Living Weapon. It will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, interludes, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow it as it appears,please subscribe to the series.





	The Arc of Ascension, Fragment i1,1: Power Play

"It's a power play," Morrison said, bluntly.

"That much is obvious," Athena agreed. "I do not have enough information to guess at how many will come out changed to one degree or another, but clearly, that number will not be zero."

An assortment of former Overwatch, never-Overwatch, and allies sat around the conference table of the largest Orca, parked in Nepal, outside the Sanctum of the Shambali - the new, much smaller, redoubt. Some others - a smaller number - participated via comms, with one in particular present in part, but in part not, her consciousness scattered about the world, the scattered pieces of her mind tied together by extraordinarily expensive quantum entanglement links.

"I can monitor everything their 'patients' do - once they get out. But not before," that dispersed consciousness added. "It will give us some insight."

Jack gave a little grunt. "You're thinking something along the lines of the Vishkar developments?"

"The work to reward ratio is impractical, Strike Commander. It would have to be more."

“In their own words,” Zenyatta interjected, “this was only the beginning.”

Jack nodded to the monk. "They're being awfully direct about that sort of thing, all of a sudden. I wonder if something's changed." The monk tilted his head, very slightly, acknowledging the possibility.

"Athena - are you suggesting that anyone who goes in would become some kind of sleeper agent?" Kamaria Tendaji asked, from Russia. “I imagine I don't have to tell you that Moira’s more than capable of it.”

"Indeed," Athena agreed. "And that is a consideration. Or perhaps she might be altering their preferences, planting potential supporters across many cultures and jurisdictions. It wouldn't be perceived as surprising - they'd all have been cured of conditions which are often severely-life limiting. Their fondness would be perceived as only natural."

Zenyatta considered Athena's words as she spoke. "And what once was unusual can become familiar. What was familiar can become accepted. These clinics and their offerings are noteworthy and rare, now. But the more their patients are seen as healthy and happy, and the more they expand... their treatments will become more and more commonplace."

Morrison nodded curtly to Zenyatta. "One clinic on every continent - just to start. They'll be everywhere, even more than they are now."

"And with such miracles of science," Zenyatta mused, "who would question more?"

"I am at least as much concerned," Athena continued, "with what they mean by 'cure.'" She played back the BBC Technology correspondent's later question.

> "I don't understand," the reporter asked. "Familial dysautonomia is a lifelong condition that affects growth across huge swaths of the body."
> 
> "That is correct," Dr. O'Deorain said, "typically. Though of course there is a high degree of variability per case."
> 
> "So... you're talking about stopping the progression, then. Mitigating some of the effects, preventing it from getting worse."
> 
> "No," Dr. Ziegler said. "That would be helpful, but a few treatments to that effect - developed for other conditions, but applicable - already exist. We are talking about reversal."
> 
> "You'd have to rebuild large parts of their _bodies_ , though - isn't that right?"
> 
> Dr. Ziegler broke in. "I've been doing the same in relief efforts for years. Why not here, as well?" She smiled. "How did you _think_ some of my miracles worked?"
> 
> Dr. O'Deorain nodded her agreement. "None of that is really very new - expensive, still, but not new. The _advancements_ are in discovering how to prevent autoimmune disorders and other unwanted side effects from arising out of the treatment. I have a paper forthcoming in Journal of Immunology on the topic, once it finally makes it through peer review."

"I have to wonder how much they could rebuild," Athena resumed, "Could they, in fact, build a body, whole, and intact - but with an entirely different person inside? Is that in fact what they are doing, here?"

"How do we fight it?" McCree asked, right hand absently gripping at his prosthetic left arm. "How the hell d'ya fight _that?_ "

"...maybe you don't," Hana said, over comms, from Korea.

"What?" Morrison asked.

"Maybe... you don't. Maybe that's what they _want_ us to do. Get us to work ourselves up, churn out some paranoid scenarios, get people nervous and scared - then it turns out they weren't doing _anything_ wrong, and what's left of our credibility is _gone_."

"Trying to draw us out," Morrison mused.

"Yeah. Look at it. Look at _Ziegler_. She's not even wearing the contact lenses. Most people won't notice, but she knows we will, and we'll react to it." Hana laughed, her amusement tinged with bitterness even over the audio channel. "This is _bait_."

Jesse snorted. "O'Deorain was never that subtle."

"She was last year," Hana shot back. "But even if she wasn't, Fareeha could be."

"We were between a rock and a hard place, darlin'. Wouldn't've worked otherwise."

"Didn't work on me at all," Song muttered, quietly, but not quietly enough.

"Sombra could easily be this subtle," Athena broke in, breaking what she suspected would rapidly become a downward spiral of recriminations. "This theory reminds me of some of her gambits, though... arguably less sophisticated."

"I wish Ana was here," Jack grumbled. "She could tell us if this was something... Fareeha might've come up with."

"Where is she, anyway?" Jesse asked.

Jack shrugged as he turned back to the window. "In transit. Somewhere. Wouldn't say where - knowing her, that means she's following up on some intel."

“That does not matter at this time,” Athena said. “Her input would be valued, but she is not here. So - do we agree the best course of action for now is to observe?”

“Gettin' pretty tired of sittin' around bein' the best option, Jesse said with a shake of his head. "Feels like we're just fartin' around, wastin' our time."

"I don’t think anyone likes it,” Morrison agreed, “And intelligence gathering isn't just sitting around. But this is a long game. There's not much else we _can_ do, here.”

"What if we're overthinking it?" asked Brigitte. "What if... this is... exactly what they say it is?"

"Talon. Doing something good." deadpanned Hanzo. "Not in my lifetime."

"Not Talon," Brigitte mused. "Angela. What if she's still - at least partly - herself? Despite everything?"

“I feel my previous statement stands,” Athena said flatly. “That does not matter at this time. Even if some part of her is the Dr. Ziegler we knew, she still assisted in the violent capture of her wife, and appears to have abducted Michael Ngcobo. She has been changed, and we cannot pretend otherwise."

"But..." Brigitte began to object.

"Beyond that," Athena continued, overriding the squire, " _Moira O’Deorain has not changed at all._ "

She paused, for just a moment, as if collecting herself, as if reeling back in her anger.

"We made the mistake of trusting her once. We must never repeat that mistake again.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second instalment of _Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Ascension_. To follow this story, [subscribe to the series via this link](https://archiveofourown.org/series/972024), rather than to the individual works.


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